Original Roseanne Character Return Confirmed For The Conners Season 6

The Conners is bringing back an original Roseanne character after being absent from the spinoff sequel for five years. ABC’s premier comedy was born out of the cancelation of the original Roseanne revival, but it continues to thrive. After Roseanne was killed in an opioid overdose, Dan and the family moved on with their lives in Lanford. Despite The Conners rewriting some of its Roseanne history, for the most part, it maintains the established continuity.

Legacy characters have been brought in to evoke nostalgia, and that’s exactly what Natalie West’s upcoming The Conners season 6 appearance will also do. Per TV Line, the episode “When Sisters Collide and The Return of the Grifters” will see her reprise her role as Crystal Anderson. West was last seen in Roseanne season 10 but hasn’t returned to the franchise until now. Check out the images below:

Why Crystal Is Back In The Conners Season 6

The official information about The Conners season 6 “When Sisters Collide and The Return of the Grifters” episode doesn’t reveal much about why Crystal is back. However, considering the promotional stills released by ABC, it’s possible that her involvement has something to do with Neville’s return to the family sitcom. According to the outing’s synopsis, Jackie’s husband is peeved at Dan for not using the money he loaned him for its intended purpose. This isn’t a new plot for the Rosanne franchise, but it remains a mystery how Crystal, who hasn’t been on the offshoot, is involved.

Perhaps, it has something to do with Crystal and Dan’s odd familial connection. When Roseanne started, West’s character was closely tied to Roseanne and Jackie as they worked together. While she remained a family friend for years, she eventually got involved with Ed Conner, effectively making Crystal Dan’s step-mom. They had two children, but none of them returned when she did in Roseanne season 10. There’s a possibility that Dan used the money that Neville loaned him to help out Crystal for whatever reason — something that the upcoming The Conners season 6 episode will reveal.

On the heels of The Conners seemingly writing Estelle Parsons’ Bev, it’s surprising to see another Roseanne legacy character return this season. The question is if she’s going to be a recurring guest star in the show moving forward, especially now that season 7 is becoming increasingly likely. If not, it’s still nice to see her back, even if it isn’t under the best circumstances.